VW Touareg Maintenance and Repair

Comments

I experience this same problem with my 2004 tuorage, with no explanation or concerns from the local dealership. After intensely searching for answers, I removed each roof mount and amazingly no more noise. What's interesting, I learned this while researching the Porsche site.

I also found market price for rotors and brakes to be overwhelming, while having my 2004 Touareg's annual State inspection. After some research, it&#146;s simply the price you pay when driving a high performance vehicle. When I purchased my Touareg it only had 5000 miles. The front rotors lasted 92,000 miles and rear rotors 122,000 miles. It all depends on your driving style.

I have a 2008 VW Touareg with about 6k miles on it. I was driving on dry pavement, about 3-5 miles per hour, when I heard/felt a thump then an extremely loud screeching noise from the front left tire area. It sounded like a train stopping on the tracks, like metal on metal. The car was barely drive-able, and luckily I was a block from home and inched my way to the driveway. I had the car towed to a VW dealer and they said there was a rock lodged in my rotor. The rock was the size of a pea. They said this is not uncommon. I think it is unsafe to have a design that allows rocks to enter the braking system and render the car not drive-able. Has anyone else experienced this?

The screaching was so incredibly loud, it was unreal. As well, there was clunk with each full tire rotation. Not knowing what it was, I decided I didn't want to make whatever it was worse by driving it, and as well, VW told me not to drive it when I called. I had to get it towed to a dealership, where they pulled the tires off and found this rock in the rotor. It was so lodged in, they couldn't knock it out with a screwdriver or anything, so it took about 1.5 hrs to get it all taken apart, out and put back together again. Just seems like poor design. I have had this car 5 months.

that sux dude, you had to bring it back for that. that shocked me when i heard that rocks are able to get inbetween the brakes. speaking of brakes and rotors. any one know of any good places to buy stock rotors? also im looking to change out the factory muffler and put in some kind of customs exhaust. if anyone knows anything let me know?

I recently had my touareg serviced at an independent volkswagen repair shop. My vechile was in the shop for 5 days due to volkswagens slow shipping problems. The reason my vechile was in the shop was to replace two connecters into the transmission module. I picked my car up friday and drove about 40 miles ( I drive to families houses for my job) in a 4 hour period. Towards the end of those visits I started to hear a noise coming from the passenger front side. My car also was not a smooth ride and was alittle shakey. I drove my car home that night and the noise got louder! It sound like I large thumping noise coming from the front wheel. I am dreading having to go back to the shop for more repairs and money. Any suggestions of the problem. :confuse: :sick:

Well, just read the thing about the brakes and that was only part of the problem with the 06 we just bought with 55000 miles on it.We loved the look of the vehicle, but from the first day we had it, it was so laden with problems.First the dealer that sold it to us (not VW), sold it with totally worn out brakes.We got that fixed but they always required two taps to make the vehicle stop.Very odd.Then the other day we found out one of the lamps was bad (quoted 300 or so), seat belt part broken (another huge price tag).And finally, when the vehicle was started up in the morning, it was very slugglish.Found out that was some kind of sensor, another nearly $200.We had bought an extended warranty, but at $100 per copay, how much did we really want to spend on this?So, my husband found a lovely, new 08 Volvo SUV and got it for a very good price.They paid off the VW which we only had two months, and we think we probably did the right thing.We lost the GPS, gained an in-dash CD changer and Blue Tooth, lost those parking sensors. Simplified things down a bit, but we gained a four year, 52,000 mile warranty. The Volvo was only used as a demo.Oh well....

Currently, I have an 04 F-150 Lariat that I love. Its been a great truck and have not had any problems with it. I am currently in the market to get an suv as we have a baby on the way. Looking for more safety features and a more "usable" vehicle. I am looking at the Touareg and really like what I see. However, I have heard some rumors off the reliability issues with it. Also, I have heard that the repair prices are through the roof too. I found this on consumerguide.com

I was wondering if these prices are remotely accurate, because they dont even look credible.Its a tough spot. I really like the looks of the Touareg, the all around capability(on and off road), the safety is top notch. But, the last thing that I want to do is go from a great truck with no problems, to a nice, expensive to repair, and repair constantly suv. (the certifieds do have a 2 year warranty, and thats what I would more than likely do). So I was just wanting some real world feedback from all of you guys. Thanks a lot for your help.

We leased the 04 model based on the same conditions; looked great, very safe, good off road capability and the vehicle was a nightmare. We had lots of minor problems to a major problem where it left us stranded. Hopefully the the newer models are better since they could not get any worse. Concerning the repair cost; we were quoted ~$900 for front brakes and rotors at 30K and tires lasted less than 25K with rotation. I have other friends that owned Touaregs, some did not have the problems we did, but another had a mojor transmission problem that cost them several thousands to repair. Buyer beware when it comes to this vehicle.

Don't get one. I went through brakes every 13,000 miles and it was between $800 and $1,400 to repair depending on if I only needed front brakes or front and rear brakes. The front windshield wipers are over $100. I had the car leased for 4 years and I went through 3 sets of tires in 61,000 miles. I had a headlight go out twice and each time it was $300. Your warranty will not cover the brakes, windshield wipers, or headlights. Drove like a dream, but it is too expensive to own. Especially when you go for service and they don't give you a loaner car. Get a Mercedes, Lexus, or BMW for safety. Get the Lexus GX for safety and reliability. Doesn't handle as well, but you avoid the headaches.

after only two months.We bought it with 55000 miles on it, didnt have a clue how bad it was.I am so glad we found a great deal on an 08 Volvo, and I am so glad we decided to trade this in after only two months ownership.Today my husband went to the dealer where we bought the Volvo.They said the VW 2006 Touareg was so bad, so many things totally wrong, they couldnt even afford to sell it as a trade in.They had to dump it at the auction.We know about the headlight being expensive, and so was a seat belt part.The brakes we already had to fix but made the dealer who declared the vehicle to be in excellent shape, fix it. They said it was a $900 job.The other problem was about a $200 job and apparently there were another whole set of problems besides those.Whew, I am glad we are out of that.I dont know if Volvo is that pricey to fix, but at least we got one with no former owner, just a demo.

Well thanks a lot for the replies. Im glad I heard about how bad it is. I talked to my dealer about them also, and he said stay far away. So I did. Im looking at the Explorer limited's now or the Nissan Pathfinder LE. Those seem a lot better. Too bad such a nice suv like the Touareg is really just a pile of dung.

FYI, I own an 06 and 08 Touareg and have had no problems with either other than routine maintenance. My neighbor has an 06 with the same results. The used Treg with 55K miles may have been abused by a prior owner. New brakes and routine maintenance at 55K is no surprise. It would not be out of reason for a dealer to tell the 06 owner they couldn't sell the car so that they can offer a less than fair trade.

I'd give the Touareg a hard look. I've owned multiple BMW, Lexus and Mercedes products and rank the Touareg with any of these.

Actually, what happened was the Volvo dealer paid off in full the loan on the Touareg which we had only owned for two months. ($19,800) They paid in fact more than I would ever have expected them too. We knew about some problems, apparently they found a whole bunch more and said the repairs were over $3000. By then it was too late, they had bought themselves a Touareg and we had us a new Volvo with only 5000 miles instead of 55000. I agree the former owner may have not taken care of the vehicle, but the Volvo dealer really made us a wonderful deal and I think they may now regret it! The car is not on the lot, and they did not sell it. They would have had no reason to make any of this up.

first the entire drive shaft needed to be replaced at 50k ok under warranty no problem 60k later it needs to replaced again bc of the same bearing issue no warranty $1200 out of pocket dont know what to do because its just gonna break again if i do fix it. plus i buy 60k guaranteed goodyear tires i wear those out in 20k (i do rotate my tires for guarantee) sensors are constantly breaking so annoying and expensive did i mention the paint on all of the buttons bubbles off if you touch them. to sum it all up the most expensive piece of junk i have ever bought in my life what ever happened to that new car lemon law GERMAN ENGINEERING AKA UNRELIABLE ENGINEERING ps. i could i have bought three new cheaper cars for the same price with less than half the problems of the touareg

Two weeks ago it seemed that my a/c wasn't blowing cold enough air. Took it in to VW and they did whatever computerized tests they do and supposedly tested the temp, but said nothing was wrong. Figured it was my imagination. It definitely wasn't working though as I found out. It got steamier and more humid here in Chicagoland, so I took it in again a week ago to get it checked out for a 2nd time. I needed an oil change anyway. NOW they did find something wrong with the a/c after they delved into the issue a little more than just hooking it up to a computerized thing. They said it needed some valve. That didn't solve it. Then they talked with VW to get more input and decided it needed a new compressor (sorry...I'm not familiar with all of this car stuff). That didn't fix it. Now they are waiting to hear from one of their regoinal engineers to figure it out.

Has anyone else had any a/c issues with an '07? I love this car and have been very happy with it---other than replacing the brakes at 20K miles. It's still under warranty for the a/c so at least I don't have to worry about that. What if they can't figure it out? Luckily the dealership has been great and always gets me a loaner (although this time it's a rental they are footing the bill for because they were out of loaners). They keep me posted and don't seem to be blowing smoke. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks!

Ok, so now it's July 15th and my dealership has had my Touareg for FOUR WEEKS! This is getting completely ridiculous. I've been patient as it seems they've been replacing EVERY single component to the A/C system. Still didn't work. They're good at keeping me up to date, but I'm completely fed up. Most people would have flipped out on them a long time ago. The latest reason it's STILL not working is they've determined that the compressor that VW sent them was faulty. Supposedly a new one was overnighted to arrive this morning. It's nearly 1 pm my time and I haven't heard a thing.

I've got an open case with VW of America and have talked with them periodically too. I have no payments on this car, so there is no way for them to cover a car payment as compensation for this ridiculous mess and inconvenience. I requested the new Ipod adapter and that has supposedly been installed and works "great" (how wonderful since it does me no good since I don't have my car). VOA told me last Monday (the 6th) that this was approved to be installed as a token of appreciation for my patience and the inconvenience this has caused. The service guy said they'd detail my car and replace my wiper blades. That's all nice, but I'm feeling I should be compensated more in some way. FOUR WEEKS without my T-reg. This was my dream car and it has been quite a let-down. Am I out of line to feel I should be compenstated more? I have one other wish list item that I can think of that my car doesn't already have (other than a new car!!!) and that is roof rails since mine didn't come with any. Anyone know how much those run? I don't need fancy ones. Is this reasonable to ask for? I'm a nice person and I hate confrontation, but my patience has worn out. If they call today and say it STILL doesn't work, I need to be prepared to really go off, which won't be hard. Any thoughts please???

You know, I'll be honest w/ you. With a screen name of "pamperedbecky," I was prepared to jump to a snap judgment about you, but your situation is beyond reasonable and you DEFINITELY deserve to be compensated. Ask 'em, no, DEMAND that roof rack you have your eye on; or even better, demand at least a 4 week extension of your factory warranty, not just some crappy 3rd party or dealer warranty.

I'd be livid. At this amount of time, I believe every state in the Union would allow you to file a lemon law claim. If the dealership refuses to compensate you commensurately for your time and troubles, threaten them with that. If they still don't budge, file the claim.

I LOVE the Touareg, too. I don't own one, and the thought of owning one is terrifying based on all the troubles they seem to have.

Thanks for the reply! Here in Illinois, the Lemon Law would only apply if the car was less than 12 months old. Unfortuntely it's more like 20 months old. The car is finally FIXED and they have given me a bunch of things for free: Ipod Adapter, oil change (we all know those are worth about $90), wiper blades, detailed the car and the latest thing given the additional time this took them is they would have paid half of the roof rails. BUT now we're looking at applying that $$ toward an extended warranty. I still have 25,000 to go on the current factory warranty and I'm waiting to hear what the options are with an extended warranty. Yes, it is a 3rd party situation, but oh well.

So, they have compensated me in various ways and I"m so so happy to have my car back. I'm still working out this last detail of whether or not to have the roof rails installed or go with the extended warranty. I know what the practical choice would be, but I just love the look of roof rails and wish I would have paid more attention to that when I bought the car!!

Oh and I'm not really a "pampered" person. I just happen to be a consultant with a company that sells top-notch cooking tools/entertaining stuff that has that name in the title. I'm far from "pampered."

As I myself purchased a new 2007 Touareg in November 2006 for my wife to replace an '02 Toyota Land Cruiser and know what it feels like to buy a car/SUV that needs repairs every 2 months (but no officially a :lemon: ) Had the Land Cruiser for over 4 years, 66k miles and not a single issue. Had the Touareg for less than 3 months when the first electrical issue arose- toasted central locking unit. During its 3 years with us, it must have visited the dealership 10+ times for various items- brakes and braking systems were especially horrific. The best was when we were on weekend getaway in Maine and the transmission refused to shift out of park after refueling. (Shift lock was not the issue or so says the service manager.) Was flatbedded to a dealer on a Saturday afternoon-- I can not begin to explain the head ache we went through to have them flatbed the SUV back to NJ. In the end, we suffered emotional pain but that pain was relieved when we traded it in for an Infiniti FX which thus far has been fairly reliable other than a replaced relay switch.

yes, it can use regular gas. no, premium gas is not required. as far as i know, there aren't any gas powered cars/suvs in USA that require premium gas, but there many that are 'recommend' premium gas. for those that 'recommend premium', they'll all run fine/forever on 87 octane while *may* losing some mpg or power compared to premium... on your 2reg, take a look inside fuel door - there may be a sticker there which agrees.

Actually, there is a sticker which clearly calls out for minimum 91 octane gas. You can always use lower octane, but you will sacrifice power and some economy.

Eventually, you will be unhappy with the loss of spirit.

To say that no vehicles in NA require premium gas is absurd. I had a Chrysler Pacifica that "recommended" mid grade 89 octane gas, but I never followed that recommendation. That seemed unnecessary. The Touareg is a different story.

gpower, perhaps we disagree on the definition of 'required' and 'recommended' in this context. Can you give an example of a gas car/suv for which premium gasoline is required? Here are my definitions:Premium Required = warranty-voided and engine-damage possible unless-you-use premium. Premium Recommended = vehicle may have reduced power or mpg if you don't use premium, but warranty and engine will remain fine/intact.If you are using different a different definition for 'required' please let me know what it is. Thanks for your consideration.

I have an 04 Tourage. In the last few days it has started to make squeaking noises. They are coming from the suspension system on all four tires. This leads me to believe that it is something with the pneumatic suspension system. Has anyone else had an issue with this? Also am I right in my diagnosis? Thank you all for your help.